Crossfire
by suzie2b
Summary: Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully are wounded, but Hitch is the only one in good enough shape to help them.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Author's note: After spending all last week too sick to sit in front of the computer without going cross-eyed, I'm back to cause mayhem for our guys. :-)**

 **Crossfire**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **It had been a long week of recon, disrupting German convoys, blowing an ammo dump, avoiding Dietrich's patrols, and pushing themselves to the limit as they crisscrossed the desert.**

 **Exhausted the Rat Patrol was finally headed back to base at Ras Tanura, but it would take another day and a half to get there. All they could do was hope they didn't get a call from someone asking for help or Captain Boggs with another assignment.**

 **It was getting late and Troy was blurry eyed with fatigue. He sighed knowing that his men were in the same shape. It was time to call it a day. He directed Hitch to head for a nearby waterhole where they could spend the night.**

 **As the jeeps crawled through the low scrub, a high-pitched whistle could be heard. Before the four Allies could react the ground was rocked by an exploding shell. Dirt, rock, and shrapnel flew around the jeeps. Troy was about to yell to take cover, but another shell exploded, sending Bertha up and over. Then a third hit and sent Olive spinning, sending her occupants flying.**

 **When Hitch opened his eyes, he could hear the firefight and the barrage of cannon and tank fire all around them. He rolled to his knees and looked around. Ignoring his own pain and injuries, Hitch started to search for his friends.**

 **He quickly found Troy with one foot pinned under their rolled jeep. He was able to quickly free the unconscious sergeant and then drag him to the relative cover of some boulders. Another shell hit the ground, sending dirt and shrapnel into the air. Hitch threw himself over Troy to shield him from the debris. He quickly felt the sergeant's wrist and was reward with a slow, steady pulse.**

 **As soon as the air cleared enough, the private ran out to find Moffitt and Tully. Hitch found their jeep flipped over, one wheel still spinning slightly. After confirming that they weren't under the vehicle, he began a sweep of the area. All the while staying low to avoid the explosions and gunfire around him.**

 **Hitch came across Moffitt first. With effort he was able to hoist the bleeding and unconscious sergeant over his shoulder. He laid him next to Troy and felt for a pulse. It was there.**

 **Now to find Tully. Hitch was weakening fast as he ventured out again. Trying to stay low, Hitch circled Olive in an ever widening pattern until he nearly tripped over Tully's prone body. He turned his friend onto his back and felt for a pulse. It was weak at best, but there. Hitch put a hand on Tully's chest and immediately realized he wasn't breathing. "Oh no you don't!"**

 **Hitch quickly tilted Tully's head back and gently moved his chin to open his mouth. He checked Tully's mouth and removed the dirt he found. Hitch then took a deep breath and blew into Tully's mouth. As he backed off slightly he saw his friend's chest rise and fall. Hitch smiled slightly. "That's it, Tully." He blew again and again and again until Tully took a gasping breath on his own. "I knew you could do it." Tully coughed and looked up groggily and Hitch asked, "Can you get up?" He helped the injured man to his feet, but Tully's legs quickly gave out and Hitch slung him over his shoulder.**

 **##################**

 **Hitch made several harrowing trips back and forth to the jeeps to get whatever he could salvage. Med kits, blankets, water, a flashlight, machine guns, and ammo.**

 **In the waning light, Hitch could see the flashes of light from the big guns on two flanks and knew they'd managed to get themselves caught in the middle of a barrage between an Allied armored company and a German one. He switched on the flashlight and began to assess his friends' injuries.**

 **Troy—broken ankle, bump on the back of his head—probable concussion, cuts and bruises. Still unconscious.**

 **Moffitt—slashes in his right arm and possible broken ribs. Small but bloody cut to right temple. Definite concussion. Still unconscious.**

 **Tully—still breathing, but there was a slight rattle when Hitch put his ear to his chest. Deep cuts to his left leg, hip, and side. Large bruise forming on the side of his head—probable concussion. Unconscious.**

 **Hitch first worked to stop all bleeding. As he moved from one of his teammates to the next, he noticed that the shelling was no longer hitting directly in the area where they were hiding, but he could hear the artillery whistle overhead. Both sides must've dialed in their aim. Hitch vaguely felt a sense of relief as he began to set and splint Troy's broken ankle before cleaning up and bandaging the other, less serious wounds.**

 **Once he was satisfied with the job he'd done on Troy, Hitch moved on to Moffitt. He cut the sergeant out of his jacket and shirt. When he was sure the bleeding had stopped, Hitch was relieved to find that the slashes, though somewhat long, were not so deep that they needed immediate stitches. He carefully cleaned and bandaged every wound he could find, including the head wound. Then struggled as he managed to snuggly wrap Moffitt's torso.**

 **As he moved on to Tully, Hitch stumbled and fell to his knees. Exhaustion and pain were taking their toll on the young private, but he couldn't stop yet. After he took a moment to regroup and take a swig from a canteen, Hitch knelt next to Tully. He cut the left leg of his friend's pants from bottom to his waist to further reveal the cuts. He removed the shrapnel he found in the deepest of the cuts on Tully's thigh. Hitch knew it would need stitches, but didn't think he'd be able to do it himself. He managed to clean and bandage the wounds in Tully's lower leg and hip, then opened the bloodied shirt to work on his side. There was a puncture wound and upon closer inspection Hitch found and removed a piece of shrapnel.**

 **By the time Hitch was finished and had everyone covered with blankets it was pitch dark with the flashing of the big guns lighting the sky around them. They were trapped.**

 **Hitch slumped down against a boulder to take stock of himself. His left hand was badly swollen and he hissed with pain as he felt at least two broken bones in the back of his hand as well as a broken index finger. He found cuts and bruises the same as the others, plus a headache that told him he probably had a concussion as well. "Why am I the only one awake?" Hitch looked at Moffitt. "You're a lot better at this doctoring stuff than I am."**

 **With a pained sigh, Hitch fashioned a splint and bandaged his hand, then cleaned up his other wounds. Then drew the last blanket around his shoulders and placed the loaded machine gun across his lap.**

 **##################**

 **An hour later, as Hitch rested against the boulder, he heard a moan. He opened his eyes and went to check on his patients. He found Troy awake and in pain. After grabbing a dose of morphine, Hitch knelt next to the sergeant. "Easy, sarge. Don't move around too much. You've got a broken ankle." He injected the drug. "That should help."**

 **Troy asked quietly, "What happened?"**

" **We got caught in the crossfire between Allied and German armored companies."**

 **Troy listened and heard the heavy guns. "Moffitt and Tully?"**

 **Hitch picked up a canteen and helped Troy to take a drink as he said, "They both have cuts and bruises. Moffitt may have broken ribs. Tully took some shrapnel. I'm thinking we all have concussions."**

 **Troy pointed to Hitch's hand. "And that?"**

" **Broken bones in my hand and one finger."**

" **Jeeps?"**

 **Hitch sighed. "Not good. Bertha's on her side. Olive's gone wheels up." He hesitated, then said, "I'm doing the best I can, sarge, but…"**

 **Troy patted the private on the arm. "You're doing just fine, Hitch. Have Moffitt and Tully been awake?"**

" **Moffitt's been out the whole time. Tully wasn't breathing when I found him. I did mouth-to-mouth. He woke up for a few seconds after he started breathing again, but that's been it."**

" **Okay … it sounds like we're out of the brunt of the shelling for now. Try to rest. We're stuck here at least until morning."**

 **But Hitch had a hard time resting. He didn't dare sleep. Every explosion, every flash from the big guns had him waiting for the sound of an incoming shell. He knew he was the only person between his comrades and the forces that be.**

 **Moffitt finally woke up a while later and asked the same questions that Troy had. Hitch explained what had happened and the injuries sustained. He gave the sergeant a dose of morphine and water, then waited for him to fall asleep.**

 **Not too long after, Tully awoke with a painful cough. Hitch rolled him onto his right side so he wouldn't choke if anything came up. Eventually some thick phlegm was coughed up and Tully was able to spit it out. Hitch let his exhausted friend roll onto his back again to catch his breath as he said quietly, "You're gonna be okay, Tully. I think you inhaled dirt from the explosion that flipped your jeep." He held a canteen so Tully could take a drink. "Troy and Moffitt are injured, but they're going to be okay too." Hitch gave him a dose of morphine. "Just rest now."**

 **Tully didn't try to speak. Hitch had told him what he needed to know. He simply closed his eyes and let the drug take effect.**

 **##################**

 **The night dragged on. Shells whistled and exploded. Occasionally a stray would hit in the area where the four wounded Allies hid among the boulders, one even came down close enough to send one of the jeeps into the air, spinning, to land on its wheels.**

 **Hitch paced in an effort to stay awake. His head and hand throbbed, but he refused to take anything other than aspirin, deciding Troy, Moffitt, and Tully needed the morphine more than he did.**

 **Hitch's three patients did awaken again before morning and he took care with each. Morphine, water, and comforting words was all he could offer. He answered questions and held Tully during another coughing fit that brought up more phlegm.**

 **And then there was silence.**

 **Hitch had been sitting down, leaning on a boulder, when he noticed it. The quiet made his ears ring. He opened his tired eyes and looked around slowly, but there was nothing to see in the predawn light. He struggled to his feet and slung the strap of the machine gun over his shoulder. Hitch carefully walked out just beyond the boulders. He wondered if was really over.**

 **If it was over, Hitch knew there would be a recon of the area to check for survivors to take prisoner. He hoped and prayed the Allies won this battle.**

 **##################**

 **Hitch was pacing again. The sun was coming up and he went out to check on the jeeps. There wouldn't be much to salvage. Then he thought he heard voices and hurried back to boulders.**

 **It had to be the recon he knew was coming. Hitch waited and watched, but didn't see anyone. He did keep hearing voices, though he couldn't yet tell if they were speaking English or German.**

 **Hitch continued to watch and listen. Then he heard a voice call out in English, "This is the U.S. Army with the 70** **th** **Armored Company! Come out with your hands up!"**

 **Then there was another voice speaking German, presumably repeating the same message.**

 **Hitch stared at the area where the voices seemed to be coming from. He had to be sure before he made his presence known.**

 **Out of the scrub came a dozen men spread out over a swath of land. They were wearing American uniforms. Someone shouted that two badly damaged American jeeps had been found. The first voice called, "This is Corporal Robins with the U.S. Army! Is there anyone in the area? Come out with your hands up!"**

 **Hitch nearly began to cry when he stepped out with his hands in the air. "Private Mark Hitchcock. U.S. Army. We got caught in your crossfire last night."**

 **Soon the area was swarming with medics and ambulances.**

 **##################**

 **At a field hospital, Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully's wounds were treated and when they each awoke, they were laying comfortably in cots under warm blankets.**

 **Troy was the first to hear the sounds of the hospital and open his eyes. He was relieved to see Allied uniforms and hear English voices. He looked around to find Moffitt sleeping in the cot on his right and Hitch on his left.**

 **A nurse noticed that he was awake and smiled as she asked how he was doing.**

 **Troy managed one hoarse word, "Pettigrew?"**

 **The nurse said, "He's just on the other side of Private Hitchcock. You're all going to be fine, sergeant. Just rest."**

 **Troy sighed as her words washed over him. They were going to be okay. He looked over at Hitch again, who was sleeping peacefully, the cuts and bruises on his face didn't detract from how young he looked. A sense of pride welled within him and as he let himself drift off, Troy thought, "I should put him in for a medal."**

 **##################**

 **Stay tuned…**


End file.
